Skyline
by Axellia
Summary: DL oneshot. Kind of a companion piece to Cornfields. This time it's Lindsay in pain, and Danny's turn to help. Spoilers for Charge Of This Post. [COMPLETE]


_Wow! I never expected so many wonderful reviews for _Cornfields_ as I got. Thank you geekluvsg, pinkdangles8, wjobsessed, DeepBlueQL, SBandJasonSamFan, martialangelfox9, HyacinthBucket, Lauren, wolfmyjic, A.Boleyn, and destinedf4greatness - I'm sorry but my reply button does not seem to want to work (that'll be my computer's fault not fanfics - it hates me!) - your reviews were all fantastic and much appreciated!_

_A.Boleyn, the answer to your question in the pm is yes, i would love to - again, my computer won't let the reply button work._

_I didn't put this at the top of the other piece, so I'd best put it here - a disclaimer... just in case anyone was under the impression CSI:NY belongs to me... unfortunately, not the case! The plot - yeah, that's mine, but I'm just borrowing the characters, so please don't sue me... I'm just a poor student._

_Well, y'all seemed to like _Cornfields_ (this is the companion piece, in case any of you were wondering) so I decided to post the other idea I was toying with. I figured I'd be brave and post my lil shipper-piece. Like the last one, it didn't turn out how I pictured it in my head, but ah well - maybe y'all will like this one too!_

_Okay, I'm going to add one final thing, and then let y'all have a read. There are some spoilers for _Charge Of This Post_ (The season 2 finale)_

* * *

It could be argued that the New York City skyline is one of the most famous, and most recognised, skylines in the world. It is certainly one of the most impressive. In the growing morning light, it didn't look as grey as it usually did, instead taking on a pink hue as the sun began to peak its way up over the horizon. It was like the buildings themselves came to life when the sun rose. Something which sounds strange for a city that never sleeps. 

It was never silent and never still. You couldn't go a day without hearing at least one siren from one of the emergency service vehicles that worked the city. On a windy day, you could hear the horns from the ferries, and the rackety sound from the trains. Engines revving, dogs barking, doors slamming, general pedestrian bustle… even, if you were unlucky enough, a gunshot or two.

The best time of the day to take in the city skyline was the morning, because not only did you get all the sights, sounds, and even smells – freshly baked goods, combined with the waft of car fumes, and occasionally the Hudson – but with it came that omniscient knowledge that with a new day came a new start. The reason as to why many of the citizens were there in the first place.

And it was on top of one of the many tall buildings that adorned the skyline - the building which housed the Crime Lab, which Lindsay Monroe, latest edition to the New York City Crime Lab -was stood, absorbing the entire combination of this, into every cell of her body.

She was exhausted: physically; mentally; and emotionally. Her usual posture had changed to a slouching one. Her shoulders were hunched up, and she was leaning against the wall which ran along the edge of the roof, with her elbows leaning upon said wall, and her chin resting in her hands.

When she had first come to the city, she had found that she often had to escape the noise in order to get any peace of mind and find her centre – something that had frequently resulted in her driving hours out of the city, and into the middle of nowhere, just so she could have a few moments of peace. Over time, these visits had dropped in consistency to an almost none existent level – the sounds of the city becoming a welcome background noise to the beckoning sleep. Of course, with what had happened in the past few weeks, she had found herself once again, getting in her car at stupid hours in the morning. It wasn't because she couldn't sleep because of the noise, but rather because her brain was working overtime and she needed somewhere peaceful to process it.

But now, she needed the noise. It made her _know_ she was alive. And it helped to block out all the thoughts that were going around her head.

Back in Montana, Lindsay had had to deal with her own fair share of crime scenes. Blood, gore, and death were not uncommon to her, and she _had_ seen some sights which were easily comparable to some of the crime scenes in New York. Just because New York City had a reputation, didn't mean that nowhere else in the state… country… world… didn't have murders or rapists running around, and Bozeman was no different.

Lindsay wasn't going to deny the fact that the Crime Lab in Bozeman was incredibly limited in terms of state of the art equipment. Most of the time, it was a case; of process the scene, collect the evidence, and then send the evidence off to Missoula, where the wait time for the evidence to be processed and returned was about eight times longer than it was in New York City.

But the emotional rollercoaster she had been on in the past couple of months alone was nothing short of draining. And the last 24 hours had really taken it out of her. She had just been winding up a triple when the day's events had unfolded – Flack getting seriously injured, chasing a…lunatic… around the city, trying to find the bombs he had planted and stop them from going off in time. She had been busy processing the evidence when Mac had come in and told her to go home – the bomber had been caught.

She took in a huge breath and climbed up onto the wall, letting her feet dangle, so that when she looked down the thirty-something stories, it felt like she was flying above the city. She had no intention of jumping, and all her weight was hanging over the other side of the wall. She just wanted a moment to feel like she was... above it all.

-------

Danny walked into the lab after returning from the hospital. Because of the circumstances, and Mac having friends in high places, it had been arranged so that Flack could have someone with him at all times. He had just spent the past couple of hours at Flack's bedside, watching him sleep, only to be sent home by Stella, who had appeared just as Don had woken up, and had told them both that it was now her turn to entertain the injured detective, and promptly pulled out a _Monopoly_ board. Personally, Danny couldn't stand the game, so he was quite happy to leave, when Don had excitedly requested to be the car.

He had gone straight back to the Lab to clock out and pick up his things. He was rooting around in his locker when Mac appeared behind him. 'You look exhausted,' Mac told him, as he turned around to face his supervisor. 'I sent Lindsay home a couple of hours ago. Don't make me do the same to you.'

'Don't worry. I'm leaving now.' He told him, turning around and reversing the route he had just taken. He had flung his bag into the passenger seat of his Ford – he'd driven in for once – but stopped when he noticed Lindsay's car still in its usual spot. Danny frowned. _Sent her home a couple of hours ago?_ Well that wasn't right. He gave the situation a moment's thought then locked his car back up and returned into the building.

After a quick search of the Crime Lab, he decided to follow what his gut was telling him, and headed up. He found the door to the roof propped open and quietly slipped through it. He glanced around and spotted Lindsay sat on the wall. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat. 'Montana?' He called, gently, trying not to startle her.

Lindsay glanced around at him and sighed, 'hi, Danny.'

'Don't do it.'

'Do what?'

'Jump.'

Lindsay rolled her eyes. 'Please, Messer. Give me some credit.'

Danny licked his lips. 'Alright, then what are you doing up there?' He asked her as he glanced uneasily over the side.

'Not thinking.'

'Huh?'

She sighed again, 'never mind.'

'You couldn't _not think_ in a cornfield?'

'Actually, no. It's too quiet.' Lindsay let out another sigh. About two weeks ago, an ex-CSI – one that worked in the very position she currently held – Aiden - had been brutally murdered. Obviously, none of the team had taken it well, but it was Danny who had taken it the worst, and Lindsay had taken him out to her place of solitude – the countryside she had once regularly escaped to.

During the time that they had spent there, they had both _finally_ confessed their feelings for each other. But when they had returned to the city, it was as if the conversation had never happened, and things had returned to normal. In all honesty, Lindsay had thought that Danny was so overcome with his emotions that he had forgotten it had happened. Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself. And yet, here he was, bringing it up again.

Danny frowned and glanced over at the steadily increasing flow of morning traffic, 'Montana, will you _please_ get down from there. It's making me nervous.' He asked her before holding out his hand to her.

Lindsay stared at the outstretched hand for so long that Danny thought she was actually going to jump, rather than take it, but finally she did. When her feet were firmly back on the ground, so to speak, she moved back into her previous position of leaning against the wall, chin resting in her hands, staring out at the brightening horizon.

Danny leant his back against the wall and turned his head to look at her. In his opinion the petite brunette had been nothing but a tower of strength since she'd arrived in the city. Of course she'd had her moments. But that's all they had been; moments. She was, again in his opinion, one of the most emotionally strong people he knew, and to see her looking like this was… slowly killing him. 'What are you doing up here?' He repeated, softly.

'I told you,' she answered, just as quietly, 'not thinking.'

Danny glanced up at the sky. He could see this line of questioning going nowhere, so he decided to try something a little different. 'Two weeks ago, you took me out to my territory and into yours and said to me something along the lines of, "I don't have a clue what you're going through, and I'm not going to make you talk." Well, now we're back in my territory, andno, I don't have a clue what you're going through, but this is me, 'n' I'm not as tactful as you – I am gonna make you talk.'

Lindsay just sighed and continued to stare.

'Seriously, Lindsay,' sighed Danny, coming behind her, 'what's bugging you?'

Lindsay sighed again, and looked down at the road below.

'Look, it may be popular back in Montana, but I don't speak sigh-language, so you're gonna have to translate.'

All of a sudden, Lindsay whirled around, exploding into life and venting the same anger she'd recently used on a suspect at him. 'You don't get it, do you?' She roared at him, causing him to take a step back as she came at him, 'I can't do this anymore! I can't be the strong one all the time. Damnit, Don is my friend too, but it's like when you were at the hospital with Louie, or when Stella was in the hospital; everyone treats me like I don't care, and I get sent back to the lab to process evidence. Well I do care! I probably care too much!' By this point, she had balled her tiny hands into fists and was hitting at him, but Danny ignored it, and finally managed to wrap his arms around her. After a few moments of resisting, she stopped struggling and began sobbing into his chest.

Danny rubbed her back, frowning. This was definitely not the Lindsay Monroe he was used to.

'I do care!' She sobbed.

'No one's sayin' you don't.' As suddenly as her mood changed the first time, it changed just as quickly again, and she pushed herself away from Danny, quickly wiping the tears away as she turned her back on him. One thing was for sure, Danny thought, this woman was anything _but_ predictable. 'We _know_ you care, Linds. That's why Mac sent you back.'

'What, because he thought I would over-react and get all hysterical on him?' She asked him bitterly.

'No, because he was listening to me.' Lindsay whirled back to face him, her eyes, again, glinting with anger. Danny hurriedly continued, 'if you had been in that hospital waiting, you would have been dwelling and over-thinking, and over-analyzing things to point that you probably would have worked your way into the bed next to Flack.'

'And what? You didn't think I wouldn't worry back at the lab?'

'No, I know you worried, but you at least had something to take your mind off things. You can't deny that.' Lindsay's expression softened. 'Did you really think that we thought you didn't care?'

'You, Stella, Don… twice may be coincidence, but three times? I'm a criminalist, Danny, I deal with evidence.'

Danny stepped up closer, and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb. 'Well, in this case, you're dealing with emotions.'

Lindsay swiped his hand away, 'do _not_ get patronizing with me, Messer.'

Danny held his tongue from biting back, _no, that's your job_, instead, taking a different approach again. 'Montana, one of the things that attracts me to you _is_ the fact you care.' He inched forward, 'so stop acting like this and allow someone to care back.' The distance between them evaporated as he leant down and pressed his lips against hers.

Lindsay was the first to break away, 'you can't keep doing this to me, Messer.'

'Doin' what?'

'This! Telling me that you care, that you've fallen for me, then… then ignoring me for a week. I know,' she told him, cutting him off, 'I _know_ that you have been dealing with a lot of stuff, but part of letting yourself fall for someone involves letting them in, and letting them helpyou whenyou need to deal with _stuff_.'

Danny winced, 'I'm sorry 'bout that. But it's about time you started following your own advice. I'm here now, Lindsay. Let me in. Let me help _you_ deal with _your_ stuff.'

Lindsay looked up, finding herself staring into those familiar cobalt eyes, and finally, nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead found herself yawning.

'When was the last time you slept?' He asked her, as he steered her in the direction of the stairs.

'I don't know,' she murmured, 'sometime around sixty hours ago?'

_Sixty hours ago, and she was sitting on the edge of a thirty-three story building!_ 'Come on, I'm getting you to bed.' Lindsay looked up at him and pulled a face. 'It's amazing how we can be this high up, and yet your mind can get that quickly in the gutter,' said Danny, 'I meant to _sleep_, Lindsay.' He grinned at her, 'but if you have other things on your mind…'

Lindsay stopped and faced him. 'Thank you.'

'For what? Offering to sleep with you? Nah,' he said, shaking his head, 'that doesn't need any thanks.'

'No,' said Lindsay, her expression serious. 'Thank you for coming to find me. You didn't have to.'

Danny walked over to her and kissed her, 'yeah, I did,' he told her, when they finally broke apart. 'I care too, Lindsay. About you. I care about you. I was lying when I told you I was falling for you. Truth is, I'd already fallen fast and hard.' He kissed her again, 'I don't know what the future brings, and to be honest, I don't care. _Right now_ is all I'm thinking about, and right now – I want to make you happy.'

Lindsay leant up and so her mouth was next to his ear. 'You do,' she whispered.

Danny kissed her. He was right – he didn't know what the future was going to bring, but at this exact moment in time, he was happy, and he was fairly certain, that the chances were, the future was going to be happy too.

The best time of the day to take in the city skyline was the morning, because not only did you get all the sights, sounds, and even smells, but with it came that omniscient knowledge that with a new day came a new start. The knowledge that things were going to be okay.

* * *

_Well, I hope y'all enjoyed it! That's me out of ideas for a while now - I need to find a muse... maybe the upcoming episodes will inspire me. Although, I suppose it's a good thing, for now - I have finals,a room to move out of, a country to leave, _and_ another fanfic I'm working on to finish._

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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